Adults with intellectual disabilities will soon have a community to call home, as Kooringal's Abbeyfield House nears completion.
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The major works are complete, and all that remains is to install solar panels on the roofs and to usher in ten residents into their new homes.
The home is the culmination of 23 years of hard work by Lyn and Brian Quigley, who began lobbying politicians for funding back in 1997.
It was a deeply personal cause for the Quigleys, who were not able to find accommodation in Wagga for their two sons, who also have intellectual disabilities.
"We're doing it for the community, but we've also got our own reasons," Lyn said.
"We know there's a need in the community, and I just hope everybody is happy here."
In other news:
The house was built with the help of the Wagga community, who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the project.
Over the years a range of community groups have pitched in to the project, including Wagga's various Rotary clubs, churches, the Bowhunters Association, and the Golden Gown Committee.
The latest round of donations were collected by Climate Rescue Of Wagga chairman William Adlong, who had been gathering funds to build solar panels for the residents.
A $10,000 donation came from Spark Infrastructure and another $34,000 came through not-for-profit organisation CORENA.
Mr Adlong said they had been searching for just such a project to fund, and that meeting Lyn and Brian had been a happy accident.
"It was serendipitous that they contacted us with just the conditions we were looking for," Mr Adlong said.
"We're really fortunate so many people came to the party, and hopefully it's just a matter of weeks before it will be installed and generating some savings for the residents."
The solar panel project will be the last project Lyn and Brian will be involved with before they pass on the keys to Mercy Connect, who will take over management of the house.
Brian said it was a relief to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" after two decades of perseverance, and he said he was looking forward to seeing the residents move in.
"It's the pinnacle of our efforts. We started when we were 50 years old and we're past 70 now," Brian said.
"The management will be handed over to Mercy Connect, so we'll be resting on our laurels to a certain extent, but we'll come back in a supportive role."
When the house is up and running it will also house an on-site coordinator who will be looking after the residents and facilitating friendships between the neighbours.
The new residents are expected to move in to their new homes within the coming months.
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
